Spider-man and the Apocalypse
by A Little Lost 1
Summary: The heroes failed to stop the zombie apocalypse and now they are trying to rebuild, pick up the pieces. It isn't as easy as it sounds(not that it sounded easy anyway, what with the, you know, zombie apocalypse). I own nothing!
1. Chapter 1

** AN: i already have two or three chapters typed up and if you can drop a review to let me know you're interested, I can post the next chap. This is just a small prologue.**

_ The first fights were the hardest. It was so hard to think of the citizens I had protected, the people I had loved, as zombies at first. Then I grew callous to the fact, and I realized that the ones I had loved were no more, that they had been dead as soon as the zombie bit them. It took me a long time to forget that the things I was stabbing and beheading were once people, but that was natural. All of us had a hard time excepting the fact, and maybe that's why so many died. _

_ You would think a whole legion of superheroes that had taken on the most evil of villains and kept the earth safe from countless alien invasions would be able to stop a zombie apocalypse. We weren't, we failed. This is the story of the aftermath of that failure, of my part in it. My name is Peter Parker, and I was the one who found the cure._


	2. Chapter 2

The city was quieter than usual today. The moans and groans of the Walkers outside of the barrier were muffled and the wind that caressed my face seems to promise change; I would welcome it with open arms. A month had passed since we had blockaded New York, and three weeks had passed since we had sent out the message for a meeting in 21 days. Today was the day we would discover who had received our message.

I settled on a window at the front of the tower where I was supposed to keep watch over the entrance in case someone arrived there. Even though the cameras would detect them, I would be quicker in picking them up. The message had been sent all around the world, on every T.V. and radio to be played or displayed once every hour. We had invited anyone who was still alive, but told them not to enter the city until we cleaned it up, cleared it out.

We were expecting anyone, heroes, villains, and civilians… all of them. We were hoping they would come; we knew we couldn't be the only ones. There had been other broadcasts, sometimes by superheroes and sometimes by civilians who asked for help. We weren't always there before they were killed, but we tried to be. Now, it was time to move on, to rebuild, and we would need everyone to do it.

The breeze played against my bare face, and I took a moment to consider the irony of the fact that it took a zombie apocalypse for me to reveal my identity. Then again, I didn't really have a choice. Secret identities didn't really matter now, and I had no one left to protect.

A movement from below called my attention. It was the sewer cap being lifted, and I furrowed my eyebrows. Whoever was under there was cautious, and the hesitant way they rose up into the street proved it. Several more people followed the figure, and soon a small group faced Avenger Tower.

I narrowed my eyes and tried to make out the faces of the people, but it was too far away. I swung down to meet them with a practiced movement of a web attached to one of the skyscrapers across from me and a leap into the air. I landed silently behind the people and was filled with dread as I saw who they were. This would be the epitome of awkwardness.

"We have to go in." A voice said, and I recognized it as Doctor Connor's non-lizard form.

"Why? What help will they give us?" Dock Ock rasped and I noticed that his extra legs had been modified into smaller versions of the originals.

"We are prepared to let bygones be bygones." I said, smiling at them as they whirled around. There were a variety of weapons pointed at me, but I wasn't afraid. They wouldn't shoot.

Connors gasped, "Peter, is that you?"

"The one and only, Doc." I gave him a warm smile as he approached, and gripped my forearm.

"It's good to see you alive."

I gave him a hug, picking up traces of the sewers and scents I assumed were from outside the city. So they had fled. "You think a couple of zombies could finish me off?"

Curt laughed, "I suppose not, but I'm still glad you're not dead."

Curt stepped back and turned to introduce me, but was cut off by someone else stepping forward from the now thoroughly interested group. It was an old friend of mine, and an old enemy. I tilted my head to the side and gave the other teen a considering glance. The other villains stepped forward to stand beside Harry, and I realized that they had become a sort of dysfunctional family, too.

"We good?" Harry asked voice too loud to hide emotion.

I let him see all of mine as I stared into his eyes. "We're good." His muscles relaxed.

"May?" He asked, and I shook my head, eyes going out of focus slightly.

He winced, "MJ?"

I shook my head again, and he let his shoulders droop for a moment, the hope he had been holding onto had turned out false. I knew the feeling all too well.

"Care to introduce us?" Electro said in his crackly voice.

I sent Harry and Curt a nervous look, "Did you guys tell them?"

Curt shook his head and Harry smirked, "Had to get revenge somehow, didn't I?"

I glared at him, but I knew he was right. It was time for me to own up to my past. My eyes darted between the villains. There was Dock Ock, looking the same but somehow less angry; Electro, still the same and yet somehow touched by the disaster; Kraven but without the layers of hunting clothes and somehow looking less formidable without them; and finally Curt and Harry who I had already forgiven and vice versa. Telling my former arch enemies about my secret identity was not going to be fun.

"Go on, Peter," Harry smirked and Dr. Connors gave an encouraging smile.

I took a deep breath, and let go of my anxiety. My back straightened, but I kept my eyes on the ground. "I'm Spiderman."

There was a moment of silence, and I kept my body tense. I was ready for attack if it came. "You are only a boy." Kraven said, puzzled.

Harry stifled laughter as my head shot up, "I'll have you know, I'm 16."

"Really? You look 14." Electro said, and for the first time, I heard a tint of a tease in his voice. I sighed exasperated and looked at Harry with exaggerated sadness, "Why does everyone say that?'

Harry pretended to think for a moment, "Maybe it's because you look like your 14."

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "I'm not that small."

Dock Ock circled me with his shorter legs. "You were the photographer."

I shrugged, "I had to make money some way."

"So you took pictures of yourself. Why didn't you just steal?"

Harry and I busted up. "P-Pete steal something?" Harry sputtered out as I gasped in breaths.

"So he cannot?" Kraven asked, studying me; assessing my weaknesses now that there was no mask to cover them.

"Oh, I can, "I bristled,"It's just that I can't-"

"He can't lie about it." Harry smirked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I trace it back to-"

"It's just because he has a strange personality."

"Don't you mean awesome?" I smirked.

Kraven interrupted before Harry could lose our battle of wits, "Your watch is flashing."

I glanced down at the high tech watch strapped to my wrist and saw that it was, indeed, flashing. I raised it to chest height and pressed one of the buttons on the side. Tony's head appeared, floating four or five inches off the screen. "Are you going to invite them in?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, I think I'll just let them sit out here for a little longer."

Tony grinned and turned the communicator off. I looked at the motley group of former villains with a serious face. "We are giving a version of this speech to everyone that comes into the tower or city." I began, "This place is a safe haven, and you will not cause trouble. If you do so, you will be evicted and sent back into the world with enough materials to survive, and a communicator to contact us if you get into trouble. Is this clear?"

They all nodded their heads, and I knew that they really did understand. I smiled, losing my serious face, and led them on the short walk to the Tower, "Then, welcome to the Orphanage."


	3. Chapter 3

Three hours later, and I hadn't talked to the others since I had let them in. There had been about thirty citizens that I had let in, and I know I heard several jets come in on the roof top. Those were probably superheroes or government officials. I really hoped they were superheroes.

The sun was setting, and I was going inside. The cameras would just have to detect any new comers, alerting me when they came. I scaled the Tower, preferring to not be met by all the curious new comers hat would flock to me if I went in through the front door. I hadn't told anyone else about my identity but I'm sure someone would have taken pity on me and told them… maybe.

My room was small and faced out to the West side of the city, where my old house had been. The floor to ceiling window was a constant reminder of what I had lost, but I forced myself to remember. I couldn't just forget my loved ones, not after all they had done for me. The room was painted black, and the bed was standard size, but with the luxurious touch of Stark industries, meaning it felt like heaven.

I had a computer with no internet in which I occasionally entered logs or designs when I wasn't busy. It was better than my old room, but for some reason it felt wrong being here. Knowing that there were people dying out there, and here I was with a computer and bed, safe, weighed heavily on my shoulders. It weighed on everyone's.

Sounds from below called my attention, and I took a deep breath and I opened my door. The elevator was dinging constantly as people entered the upper and lower floors. There was to be a meeting at six, but we had already agreed as a team that superheroes and super villains that wanted to would stay in the Tower, and civilians would find a place in the city.

I jumped as Tony's voice blared over the speaker, "Everyone meeting in the cafeteria now!"

I laughed as several people winced, and glanced over at the long line forming outside of the departing elevator. No thank you… I walked back into my room and swiped upwards on the window, which I had programmed to stay open after I left .The breeze once again caressed my face as I looked down at the ground, so far away.

I breathed in the cleaner air and glanced at the drifting clouds, relaxing my body. Time slowed as I placed my foot on the edge of the window, everything but the heel hanging off. I looked down at the far away ground and indulged in one of my favorite parts about being Spiderman. I let my knees collapse. Time slowed down and everything sharpened.

My stomach jumped to my mouth and I laughed. So close to the ground now and time sped up. I raised my wrist and a strand of webbing shot out to glue onto the side of the Tower. I angled my body to the side, and soon I was swinging around the skyscraper, laughing. It was moments like these, where I could truly let go in every sense, every muscle relaxed and my life literally hanging by a thread that I loved most about being Spiderman.

My destination arrived too soon, and it was too late by the time I realized that the window was already opened. Oh well… I gathered force in my arms, and swung my body into a flip. I let go of the strand, and left my life in the hands of fate and skill. I landed crouched on the window sill silently and quickly climbed down to the floor. Nobody noticed my entrance, and I scanned the room with wonder.

Here was a miracle, civilians, villains, and superheroes mixed together. There was some quarreling and bickering, but no one was trying to kill each other. The civilians were skittish around the villains, and even several of the heroes, but they weren't running away. There were many heroes still wearing the armor from their costumes, but none wore masks. It was truly a new age.

I spotted Tony and the other Avengers seated at the large tabled at the center of the room, and was happy to notice the empty seat beside of them. I walked quietly over to the table to stand directly behind Tony. The man talking to the others didn't even glance at me, so I leaned down into Tony's ear, gathered a silent breath, and whistled shrilly into it.

The genius jumped and I had to move backwards to evade his flailing arms. I laughed loudly as he fell out of the flimsy chair, which was my goal anyways. The others turned to me, including the man, and Steve addressed me with a twitching mouth, "You finished up outside?"

I nodded, "Though, I'll be up letting people in all night, probably."

"Good, we can start the meeting." He nodded.

I sat down next to the Avengers and watched as everyone else either sat down or gathered close to the table. I noticed that there was no one gathered behind our backs. Steve spoke first, as he was always good at these kinds of things.

"Welcome to the Orphanage, as Peter dubbed it today." Steve stopped to glare at me for a second and I gave him a mischievous smile.

"We have given you the speech, and we mean to follow through with these words." Steve said sternly, "This is not a time for tolerance of evil or simple disruption."

As was custom, Steve took the time to make eye contact with everyone in the room as he talked, especially with the villains during his next words, "It's a new world, and we're wiping clean the slate."

Some of the villains looked considerably relieved, and for a moment I wondered what had been driving them to act as they were. Maybe it was the knowledge that after all they had done, they would never be the same. They would never be able to take it back, and so they went on with what they were doing because they couldn't see any other way out. Now, here we were, forgetting their crimes and telling them they had another future.

"We are going to start this process by introducing ourselves, and for the villains and superheroes that have always wore masks to protect your identity, this is your chance. I'll start. My name is Steve Rogers, and I'm Captain America."

Steve sat down, and Tony, who sat to the left of him and to the right of me, stood up, "My name is Tony Stark and I'm Iron Man."

I took a shaky breath as he sat back down, and stood up, "My name is Peter Parker, and I'm Spiderman."

I sat back down quickly, listening to the people in the room titter at the confession, astounded that a boy so young could be a hero. Better believe it, kids. The rest of the introductions went smoothly, even the one with Batman. I knew he was Bruce Wayne!

In all, we had 40 civilians, 9 villains, and 12 superheroes. The villains included Electro, Dock Ock, Harry, Connors, Batman's Joker and his girlfriend Harley, Dr. Crane, and The Riddler. The superheroes were me, Tony, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, Batman, Flash, and all of the Teen Titans. Bruce said there were more of the Justice League, but that they were attending other things.

After we gave the directions to the civilians about where they were to live, they flooded out of the room to stake their claim and, watching them leave in such a rush, I wondered how many of them had been homeless. I wondered how many of them were about to get more then they had ever owned, more of a chance then had ever been given them before. For many people, this Apocalypse was the beginning of a new age, a better one.

Soon, it was just the superheroes and former villains left to seat themselves at the table. It was quiet for a moment, and everyone was looking at everyone else's faces. I knew what they were thinking. I was thinking it too. It's nice to finally meet you, everyone.

Most everyone here had hidden their whole lives, in one way or another. Whether it was behind a mask or the personality of another, everyone had hid. Now there was no reason to.

Steve opened his mouth to start talking, but the alarm for the cameras sounded, and Tony immediately pulled the reason up on the large screen in the middle of the table. There was a small group of civilians at the front of the tower. Everyone looked at the Avengers, and the Avengers looked at me. I stared at them for a moment, frowning, "Oh,, come on guys!" I whined, "You're all perfectly capable of doing it."

"But you're quickest." Cap reminded me, before giving me a look that said You Had Better Go Do It Young Man.

I rolled my eyes, but stood and walked over to the window. "Would anyone like to join me?" I said, turning my head back slightly.

Everyone simply looked at me, and I rolled my eyes, before leaping out the window.


End file.
